Coriell Life Sciences (CLS), a cutting-edge venture that focuses on storage, interpretation and delivery of genomic information for healthcare implementation, has been selected to participate in an exclusive IBM event and will vie for the chance to be named "Entrepreneur of the Year."
"We are truly honored to receive this tremendous distinction from among hundreds of submissions and be in the company of these topflight organizations," says Dr. Michael Christman, a founder of CLS and the president and CEO of the Coriell Institute for Medical Research.
The IBM Global Entrepreneur program – a three-day summit being held in Silicon Valley in late September – attracted hundreds of elite applicants from all across the country. CLS was chosen as one of only six finalists and will have the unique opportunity to interface with a panel of technology experts and industry visionaries.
"Our vision is to inform the future of precise and effective clinical care, and we are poised to do so with a team of highly accomplished scientists and by employing the lessons learned through the innovative Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative research study," adds Dr. Christman.
CLS is a spinoff of the internationally-renowned Coriell Institute for Medical Research, a non-profit biomedical research institution dedicated to the study and comprehension of the human genome. "Coriell is very much a forward-thinking and prominent fixture in the discussion around personalized medicine," says Dr. Christman.
In order to further capitalize on this surge in interest, CLS has developed a proprietary system for securely storing sequenced genetic data, constructed an interpretation service designed to more accurately determine drug efficacy, and facilitated a seamless exchange between healthcare providers, patients and physicians. Much of this essential infrastructure will be powered by IBM; the technology leader engaged CLS several months ago as part of the Smarter Planet campaign and has contributed resources for software development, technical support, and served as a consultant on the challenge of storing the massive datasets generated by genetic sequencing.
"Our partnership with IBM has been incredibly fruitful," says Scott Megill, President and CEO of CLS. "We're excited by the prospect of expanding the scope of that relationship. This selection validates the vast potential of the emerging personalized medicine field, and we feel poised to make significant inroads in the pursuit of an optimized medical model."
The program will provide the CLS leadership group with a platform to showcase their progressive company for a panel of influential executives and mentors. The winning entry will advance from the North American regionals to the Global Entrepreneur stage.
Click here for more information about IBM's program.
To learn about the work taking place at Coriell Life Sciences, click here.
